7 reasons to road trip now: How road trips will save 2021 travel

I have a pretty solid feeling that you’re like me and feeling real antsy at home. You’re probably wondering if you’re able to travel this year. Believe me, you’re not alone! So many of us want to return to family travel so we can make memories as a family while exploring new communities. That’s why I’m so excited to say: If you’re going to travel, road trips are the way to go.

Expect to see some return to travel in 2021. Things will still look different—you’ll probably still need to wear masks, and some companies or locations may require proof of vaccination or negative test results.

Even still, more than 40% of Americans are planning at least one trip in the next six months.

Are you one of them? Are you hopeful for an upcoming trip? Consider a road trip. Here, I make the argument that driving is the way to go for 2021 travel—and I’m happy to explain why.

Keep reading for the 7 reasons why road trips should be your go-to method of 2021 travel!

Important note: I absolutely support and follow local government’s guidelines on when/how it is safe to travel. I urge you to do the same by respecting stay-at-home guidance when applicable. I also urge you to follow all safety precautions to slow the spread of illness, including social distancing, frequent hand washing, and mask wearing. It is up to all of us to keep ourselves and our communities safe and healthy.

So as you read this post, keep in mind that my recommendations apply only when you’re able to safely travel in accordance with governmental guidelines and common sense.

Finally, this post contains affiliate links. That means I earn a small income when you click and buy—at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting To & Fro Fam!

You can be flexible in your plans (and not go if necessary)

Last year, I ended up canceling a lot of travel plans. And I’m guessing you might be like me in that you spent hours and immeasurable energy in canceling reservations—and trying to get your money back.

The beautiful thing about a road trip is that you haven’t made expensive reservations or booked airfare. So if conditions change before you leave, you can cancel your own plans—no headaches involved.

Yes, I am itching to return to travel and family vacations. But I also urge everyone to keep a close eye on the safety of travel for both yourself and the communities you pass through.

This reason to take a road trip extends beyond health concerns. If there’s a storm in an area you’d planned to travel to, you can easily alter your trip.

So if it doesn’t make sense to travel, cancel or postpone your road trip. The ease of doing so is just one more reason to take a road trip this year.

You can limit interaction with others

Are you like me? The thought of going through TSA—all those people, bins that have been touched by a bajillion people—makes me hyperventilate.

It’s no wonder: Science solidly shows that the more people come into contact with one another, the greater the chance of spreading germs.

But with a well planned road trip, you can skip over a lot of these interactions.

Consider all that’s involved in flying: Checking in at the airline desk, waiting in line, passing through security, sitting alongside folks at your departure gate, walking past people in their seats on the plane, and all the other opportunities to come in close contact with others.

Contrast that to driving for your vacation. Yes, you will need to buy gas so may come in contact with the gas attendant (though most states have you pump the gas yourself). You may need to shop at a store for groceries and ice. But we’re talking contact with a few dozen people at most, compared to hundreds and hundreds.

It’s clear: Road trips put you in touch with way fewer people.

You can alter your route at a moment’s notice

Let’s say that you had planned to drive from one state to another, but before you leave, a state in between the two sees a spike in infections. It’s easy to redirect to take a safer route.

You might need to alter your itinerary for other reasons. Let’s say there’s a freak windstorm in a state you’d planned to pass through. It’s easy to redirect your route. Simply plot a new path with an atlas or alter your GPS route.

With all roads crisscrossing the country, you can tailor your road trip route to be as safe as possible.

Road trips are budget-friendly

Road trips are almost always significantly cheaper than travel by other means. The savings increase when you travel with others.

When you fly, your cost increases with every person you add to the group. So while it may cost $400 for one person to fly, you’re talking $1,600 for a family of four.

Airfare is likely to increase later in 2021, too. If you take a look at advance bookings, prices rise for the months when airlines anticipate higher demand (especially in summer months and around holidays).

In contrast, road trip costs stay pretty much the same. Let’s say it costs $400 for a road trip’s gas, snacks and lodging. You’ll pay pretty much the same amount whether one person is traveling or the whole family. So you’d still end up paying about $400 for four people.

So if you’re looking to save money—and really, who isn’t?!—road trips are the ultimate budget travel.

You can pack supplies to be (mostly) self-sufficient

When you travel by car, you can easily pack what you need to be close to self-sufficient.

To do so, simply consider what you’d normally need to get while traveling:

• food
• directions
• entertainment
• drinks / coffee
• ice
• masks, sanitizer and other supplies to travel safely on a road trip

Think through what you and your crew will need during a trip. Then pack supplies to meet those needs.

For example, you know you’ll need to eat. You can pack snacks and meals so you don’t need to stop at restaurants along the way.

(There’s a right way and a wrong way to pack a cooler. Learn how to store food safely in my tutorial on packing a cooler correctly.)

We even pack a small travel toilet. (There are even potties that can be used with a disposable bag for #2.) This comes in handy when one of my kids suddenly has to pee like right now when we’re miles away from a rest stop. It’s also useful when you don’t feel comfortable using a public rest room.

Of course there are some things you can’t provide yourself, or that will run out along the way. For those needs (gas, ice, etc.), consolidate all your needs in a single stop. So instead of stopping at a gas station, then a grocery store for ice, then a cafe for a fresh coffee, get everything in one place. That will minimize your exposure and risk.

You can be spontaneous with road trips

If you’re thinking about making trips without a ton of advance planning, you’re in good company. 40% of reservations are made less than two weeks from the date of planned travel, according to research.

Spontaneous travel in 2021 is going to increase, in part because people want to wait and see that conditions are safe. Folks don’t feel confident predicting what things will be like months down the road so are waiting to book travel until close to the last minute.

Road trips are much, much easier for last-minute vacations. After all, it can be hard—and expensive—to book a last-minute plane ticket. But road trips cost about the same whether you’re planning far in advance or you decide to take a spur of the moment vacay.

What’s more, you can be flexible in the destination you visit. When you drive, you can wait to pick your vacation location until just a few days before you leave home.

So for 2021 travel, road trips—including last-minute ones—can’t be beat!

If you haven’t planned ahead for how you’ll keep the kids entertained, don’t sweat: Did you know you can download my book, Road Trip Games & Activities for Kids? The ebook will go straight to your phone—so you and your fam can have fun along the way.

You can make up for 2020 canceled plans

2020 was rough in a lot of ways, including all the canceled plans. My kids still talk about the vacations that didn’t happen.

At the same time, I grieve the lost opportunities for my kids—Maxine starting kindergarten in person, Edie going to horse-riding camp. It can feel like last year was one long disappointment.

I’m betting your family could say the same.

So as long as it’s safe, we’re planning to road trip as a family to make up for these disappointments.

Even more, we’re looking forward to traveling as a family to make memories together. I love that when we travel, we eliminate many of the distractions of every day life. That lets us focus on each other and have fun together!

So if you’re excited about getting travel back into your life, I strongly recommend taking a road trip this year. I trust you will plan to do so safely, within health guidelines, and while following precautions like mask wearing and social distancing.

Here’s to a wonderful year of travel, friends!